DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

JOHN THE BAPTIST, ST. JOHNSON 537
John Brown's body lies a-mouldi?ring in tlie firave.
{Three thuc..)
But his soul goes marcliing on.
Chorus ; Glory, Glory, Hallelujah !
(Three fimc!^.)
His soul goes marching on.
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
His sou! goes marching on.
John Brown's knapsaclv is number ninety-tliree.
As he goes marching along.
His pet lambs will meet him on the way,
And they'll go inarching along.
We'll hang Jeft' Davis on a sour apple-tree,
As we go marching along.
The tune, fitted to a hj'mn —
Say, brothers, will you meet us
On Canaan's happy siiore '?
made its appearance in the fit'tiea in the earap
meetings of the Southern States, and from thence
travelled northwards ; it is stated that the tune
is the composition of one William Stetfe. Its
introduction into the Northern army was, according
to Mr. Elson in his History of American
Music, by reason of the singing of the hymn by
a couple of homesick recruits while stationed
at Fort Warren near Boston in 1861. The regiment
adopted the melody as its own, and the
words which required merely a simple statement
without a corresponding rhyme, grew as 'chatf'
round a good-natured Scotchman named John
Brown. The tune quickly became popular all
throughout the Northern States, and was associated
with the marches of its army. The ' John
Brown ' gradually grew to be recognised as the
hero of Harper's Ferry, and a political meaning
grew round the doggerel united to the tune.
JMany attempts have been made to u-ed respect-
alile and consistent words to the air in place
of those \vhich have carried it along on the
march and round the camp fire, but up to the
present without the slightest efi'ect. F. K.
JOHN THE BAPTIST, ST. An oratorio in
two parts ; the text selected from the Bible by
Dr. E. G. Jlonk ; the music by G. A. Slacfarren.
Produced at Bristol Festival, Oct. 25, 1873. G.
JOHNS, Clayton, an American composer,
chiefly of works in the minor forms, was born
in New Castle, Del., Nov. 24, 1857. He was
destined at first for architecture, and studied
that profession for four years in Philadeljihia.
In 1879 he definitely committed himself to
music, and began his studies in Boston under
John Knowles Paine in theory, and William
H. Sherwood up)on the pianoforte. With these
he remained three years, going then to Berlin
to continue his work under Kiel, Grabow, Raif
and Rummel. In 1884 he returned to the
United States, settling in Boston, which has
since been his home. He has published a
Berceuse and Scherzino for string orchestra,
several pieces for violin and pianoforte and for
pianoforte alone, and about one hundred songs,
some of which have won piopularity. r,. A.
JOHNSON, Edward, is mentioned in Meres'
Palladis Tamia (1598) as one of the leading
English composers. It is not known if he was
related to the other musicians of this name.
Tliere is reason to think that he was employed
to provide some of the music for the festivities
on the occasion of the Queen's visit to Lord
Hertford at Elvetham (Sept. 1591), as there
exist five-part settings by him of two of the
songs performed at the fourth daj''s Entertain-
ment ; these arc ' '
Elisa is the fayrest Queue,'
for treble voice and instruments ; and
Com
agayne,' for two treble voices and instruments
[B.M. Add. MSS. 30,4s0-4.] If this is the
original music composed for the occasion, "\ve
are told that ' this spectacle and musicke so
delighted her Majesty, that shee desired to see
and hear it twise over. ' (See Nichols's Progresses
of Q. Elizabeth, where the Descriiition of the
Entertainment is reitriuted.) In 1592 he contributed
three settings of tunes to Este's Whole
Booke of Pseilmes, which shows that by that
date he had made some rejiutation as a musician
'expert in the Arte' ; his work, however, does
not appear till the end of the Book, and it may
be supposed that he was not included in Este's
original scheme. [See Ps.\ltee, where his work
is criticised.] In 1594 Johnson took his degree
of Bachelor of Music at Camliridge from Gonville
and Caius College. ' In his Supplicat ' he sp)eaks
of his many years' study and practice in tlie
Science of Music, ami asks to be examined by
Dr. Bull and Dr. Dallis. A six-part madrigal
by him, 'Come, blessed byrd,' appeared in tlie
Triumphs of Oriana, 1601. An unprinted
madrigal in two parts, 'Ah, silly John,' and
' That I love her,' for three voices, is in the R.
Coll. Mus. Library. Of his instrumental music,
a paduan was printed in T. Sim]ison's Taffel
Consort, Hamburg, 1621 ; and three Virginal
pieces with his name are in the Fitzicilliemi
Virginal Book (a medley, and a pavan and
galliard set by BjtJ). g. e. p. a.
JOHNSON, James, a famous Edinburgh
music-engraver, who, for nearlj' forty year.s,
held the bulk of the Scottish trade, engraving
from 1772 to about 1790 practically every piece
of music issued in Scotland. The son of Charles
Johnson, born about 1750, he was probably
apprenticed to James Read, an early Edinburgh
music-engraver. Johnson's first known work
is dated 1772 ; it is Six Canzones for two voices
. . . dedicated to the Scots Ladies by Domsnics
Corri, Edinhurgh, 1772, James Johnson, Edinburgh,
oblong 4to. 1 In this year or the following
he engraved M'Lean's Scots Tunes, and in 1773
Daniel Dow's Twenty Minuets. These and
others are all clearly cut in copper, but all his
later work is stamped on pewter, a practice which
the writer of his obituary notice in the Scots
MaejaHne, 1811, foolishly credits him with being
' the first to attempt.'
In 1787 he published the first volume of The
Scots Musical Museum, a notable work which
1 In the library of the present writer, probably now unique.
2 7?!